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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  9. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  14. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. When was this ________________ built?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. branch — of a bank
  2. last — to go on
  3. last — final
  4. pound — a weight
  5. date — the fruit
  6. ruler — a monarch
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. spell — a short time
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. branch — a division
  13. branch — of a tree
  14. kid — child
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. last — finally
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. spell — magic
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. spell — letters
  22. temple — a place of worship
  23. kid — to tease
  24. temple — a place of worship

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com